UK Organised
dissent at Yarl's Wood detention centre met with harsh treatment19.10.2012Mass protests by detainees at
the Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire
demanding "rights and dignity, and to end the racist,
sexist and abusive detention system" have been met with
harsh treatment by the authorities. [1]

Sparked by the attempted
forcible deportation of a Ugandan woman, referred to here as
Christine on the request of supporters, a mass meeting of detainees
on Monday unanimously agreed a list of demands calling for an
end to detention, deportations and the UK's "fast track"
asylum procedure; and an end to the "modern-day slavery"
of work inside detention centres that pays 50p an hour.

Following the attempt
to deport Christine - during which detainees allege she was "forcefully
taken naked by seven men out of the Centre" and later
"injected by the officers to subdue her and make her
unconscious" - around 120 women gathered in a canteen
and unanimously agreed to the list of demands which also includes
calls for the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to respect freedom of expression
and organisation within detention centres, an end to the monitoring
of internet and phone usage, and for greater privacy and respect
for detainees.

Faced with further protests
by detainees on Wednesday afternoon, staff have now resorted
to trying to separate perceived ringleaders from other detainees.

The mass meeting and list
of demands have emerged from ongoing attempts at political organisation
within Yarl's Wood, with detainees supported by activists and
organisations on the outside. The current uprising also forms
part of a history of protests inside the centre - reserved exclusively
for women - where in 2010 some 50 detainees went on hunger strike.
[2]

Outside support

Outside Lunar House, the
imposing 20-storey tower block in Croydon that is home to the
UKBA, members of the Movement for Justice and Croydon Migrant
Solidarity gathered on Wednesday for a small but vociferous demonstration
- inside a police-built pen of metal barriers - to show their
support for the women inside Yarl's Wood, and for all those held
in immigration detention across the UK.

Echoing the opening paragraph
of the statement issued by the women of Yarl's Wood, Karen Doyle
of the Movement for Justice (MFJ) said that women being held
- many of whom have suffered rape, torture and abuse and yet
can be detained indefinitely under UK law [2] - are being "retraumatised"
by their imprisonment.

"We feel there
needs to be a massive light shining on what's happening"
said Doyle, who has campaigned with MFJ since the organisation
was established in the mid-1990s to campaign for the rights of
migrants and asylum-seekers and has also been involved in supporting
victims of racism and police brutality.

Harsh treatment

At the same time as Wednesday's
protest outside Lunar House, around 100 women inside Yarl's Wood
gathered in the canteen again to protest and make their demands
known to staff inside the centre.

According to Tony Gard
of the Movement for Justice, detainees returning from appointments
outside the centre, who could hear those inside chanting their
demands, have reported that Yarl's Wood was surrounded by police
and that a helicopter was hovering overhead. They were not allowed
back into the centre.

By about 15:30 protesters
inside the canteen started to return to their rooms only to be
trapped in a corridor by staff who said they had to be searched
before they could leave. [3] Gard says that when the women refused
a "stand-off" ensued that lasted until about 21:00,
when the group relented and agreed that anyone searched would
be allowed to leave immediately afterwards.

Amongst those held in
the corridor were several elderly and frail people. Gard says
that at least one person collapsed and had to receive medical
treatment. It is alleged that nobody held was allowed to have
their evening meal and whilst in the corridor people were not
provided with water or access to toilets, although the Home Office
has refuted this last point. [4]

The next day

Reports received by Movement
for Justice allege that on Thursday detainees were allowed to
leave their rooms, but not their units - Yarl's Wood is divided
into four main housing sections - until about 13:30, when people
were allowed out in a staggered fashion. Inmates from Avocet
unit, where some of the main organisers are housed, were only
allowed out for between one and a half and two hours.

At about 15:00 one of
the main organisers conducted an interview with a local radio
station, following which herself and two other women from Avocet
were called to a meeting with the management, according to Tony
Gard. They asked if they could choose who and how many people
went to this meeting but were told they could not. The same thing
has apparently happened in the centre's Dove unit, and none of
the people called to these meetings have been seen since.

Reports suggest that this
morning between 8:30 and 9:00 staff came and took the women's
belongings from their rooms, which is leading to rumours inside
Yarl's Wood that the UKBA are planning to deport them as soon
as possible. Tony Gard suspects, however, that "because
of publicity they won't be deported yet."

Gard feels that the UKBA
are "trying to avoid an explosion" and keep
people separated in order to prevent any further unrest. The
atmosphere in the centre is said to be tense and fearful.

Statewatch News online | Join Statewatch news e-mail list | Download a free sample issue of Statewatch Journal&COPY; Statewatch ISSN 1756-851X.
Personal usage as private individuals/"fair dealing"
is allowed. We also welcome links to material on our site. Usage
by those working for organisations is allowed only if the organisation
holds an appropriate licence from the relevant reprographic rights
organisation (eg: Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK) with
such usage being subject to the terms and conditions of that
licence and to local copyright law.